


Good Friday

by RunRoses



Category: Teenage Bounty Hunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Freaky Friday Fusion, F/F, Post-Canon, stepril - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29480001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RunRoses/pseuds/RunRoses
Summary: When April finds out the truth about Sterling's involvement in her father's arrest, what's left of their relationship is laid to ruin. But what happens when a little divine intervention forces each of them to consider another point of view?AKA: The Freaky Friday AU that literally nobody asked for, but seven (7) people on tumblr were kind enough to like.
Relationships: April Stevens & Blair Wesley, April Stevens/Sterling Wesley, Blair Wesley & Sterling Wesley
Comments: 27
Kudos: 83





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey gang! You may have read my other story, Misdirected Anger, which is close to coming to an end. (I will always finish what I start, promise.) I couldn't bear to conclude that without having something new to chew on, so here's a shower thought that got wildly out of hand. This is primarily a Stepril fic, though our other Georgia peaches will certainly stop by to say hello.
> 
> Let me know what you're thinking.
> 
> [Shitpost with me on tumblr.](https://aristeia.tumblr.com/) Thank you to the seven brave souls who liked this shout into the void, and thank _you_ as always, for reading.

Everything was fine…ish.

Sterling was alive, that was good, and she knew Blair was still Blair, even if the whole _twin_ part of it was recently thrown into relief. Fortunately for all of them, their family secret had remained an actual secret. Time at the Wesley house was still tense, though. As it turned out, _saying_ you forgive your parents and _actually_ forgiving them are two totally different things.

For Sterling, that hurdle only applied to her adoptive parents. She had a deposition approaching in which she’d need to give testimony against her biological mother. Blair had been practicing with her lately, but the problem wasn’t remembering what had happened, it was just getting through the story without having an emotional breakdown. Which is why her tough-as-nails metal-head twin could be found spooning Sterling’s weepy form a few times a week after practice.

The Wesleys were trying, though, they were all trying. Trying to be delicate about the situation, trying to be kind to one another. Over the past two months Debbie had taken to embracing tiny holidays as a new medium of family bonding. In February before Valentine’s Day, she’d written love notes on little paper hearts and stuck a new one on everyone’s bedroom door every day for fourteen days. In the week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, she hid little chocolate gold coins around each of the girls’ rooms.

On Valentine’s Day itself, Sterling found a yellow rose taped to her locker with a little tag. It was from Luke. He appeared behind her, as if on cue, and fumbled through what sounded like a pre-planned speech about how he really hoped they could be friends despite how confusing everything was. She tried really hard not to cry but couldn’t stop the burning behind her eyes. Crushing herself to his chest, Sterling agreed that yes, she’d never needed a friend like him more than she did right then. If she noticed April down the hall staring with a furrowed brow when she pulled back from the hug, she certainly didn’t mention it to anyone, or think about it a lot.

Sterling certainly never thought of April at all actually. Sitting behind her in Spanish class was completely normal. It’s not like she fixated so much on the twirling of the shiny ponytail in front of her, that she’d taken to dedicating her entire study hall period to catching up on what she’d missed. No. Decidedly _not._ She definitely didn’t have the perfect montage of their time together in the Volt ready to cue in her mind at a moment’s notice, should the angst of life require some kind of _release_ in the privacy of her own bedroom. _If_ such a preposterous thing were to happen every few days (and Sterling would never say that it did, even if Blair teased her about it constantly) she certainly did not spend her comedown feeling sad and picturing a smash cut of every tragically somber smile April had thrown her way since the lock-in. After all, April and Sterling, Sterling and April, it could never happen, not really. Not with how royally Sterling had effed up by putting a twin-swear before their relationship. Not with John Stevens capable of ruining everything with one simple bounty-hunting truth at a moment’s notice. No. Nothing was safe, nothing was sacred. Skips were caught, and Wesleys were single.

So, yeah, things were fine… _ish._

It was April now, an unavoidable month that Sterling had been trying to futilely dodge solely so she wouldn’t have to see her ex-something’s name in the corner of every assignment. April Fool’s Day had a unique gut punch for that same reason, though Blair could never let the sadness stand. Sterling had initially hoped that her twin would try to be delicate about the month in question, but she’d felt lumps in her pillow that night and reached into the pillowcase to pull out a strap-on harness. It was missing a certain _phallic_ something, but there was a note that read, “Good luck finding the better half of this!” (Sterling did find it, in her _gym locker_ of all places and managed to smuggle it off of school grounds, blushing furiously, but otherwise undetected.)

Easter approached, and the week was almost over. Thursdays were truly the bane of Sterling’s existence, even if this one was technically Holy Thursday. The thrill of the week had worn off, it wasn’t Friday, and the lack of sleep had managed to catch up to her by then. But this Thursday really turned around, because when the bell rang at the end of Spanish, April swiveled in her seat to address her in a hushed tone.

“Do you think we could talk after school?”

Sterling was so jolted by April initiating contact that she just stared with her mouth agape and watched. In her silence, the neutral expression the brunette was sporting morphed into a scrunched brow, obviously wondering if Sterling had the mental faculties for conversation.

“Oh, uh, talk? Yeah, you and me, should,” she cleared her throat before finishing, “We should.”

“Good. Fellowship room, 3PM.”

****

**_________________**

If not for Willingham’s strict zero-tolerance policy regarding violence, April would deck someone in the face. Not just someone, Sterling _fucking_ Wesley. Blair, she could forget. Never forgive, but certainly forget. Because it wasn’t Blair who had kissed her senseless after a school project. It wasn’t Blair who had inquired about her dad’s trial knowing full-well who had landed him behind bars. It wasn’t Blair who insisted that the world know all of April, when she herself couldn’t be bothered to be honest about her own afterschool activities.

April was under no illusion about her father’s character. He was, at best, the villain of many people’s stories. All the Star Wars marathons and cutesy nicknames in the world wouldn’t bring him any closer to being the good Christian man he pretended to be every day. At this point, she was surprised he didn’t immolate upon entry at their church, and this was coming from someone who was mildly afraid of that actually happening to her when she’d prayed for her first kiss with a girl at age twelve. John Stevens was, perhaps, an irredeemably bad person, she knew this. That said, he had been honest at least one (1) time, and that time was Holy Wednesday. Once the dust had settled from his return, and he’d finally believed the masterful façade of forgiveness that April had been sporting, he’d told her _the whole truth_ so help him God. 

April refused to be taken down like this. Not by the hand of someone as useless as _Sterling Wesley._ She couldn’t even speak the name without her lip curling into an involuntary snarl. To think, the nights she’d spent crying over this girl! A traitor of the worst sort! She’d given her mortal enemy the exact location of her Achilles’ heel, her deepest secret, and for what? Soft lips? She’d been played. She’d been had. But because she couldn’t take back every sad smile she’d let slip in these past few months, she was going to destroy Sterling instead.

It was too easy for April to get the blonde alone, really. She’d have thought after Sterling and Blair had practically become one word since the lock-in, ‘Sterling&Blair’ that it would be impossible, but not at all. Sterling just wore a stupid look on her face when she’d asked to talk after school, and April could swear the taller girl had tried to sniff her on her way out of Spanish class. Child’s play, really. Compartmentalization was key.

April had already kicked out all of the door stops for the French doors that led to the Fellowship room. When Sterling entered with a dreamy smile on her face and walked over to where April was standing by the piano, all she had to do was wait for the click of the inner door swinging shut before beginning.

“Sterling,” her voice was calm, even, prepared.

Sterling stood just out of reach; one arm hugged across her body, eyeing April intently through the loops of her bangs that hung outside of her braid. “April.” It was soft and hopeful, far too reminiscent of grazing pinkies and sidewalk debates.

“Remember when we met here after the lock-in meeting?”

Sterling nodded, her smile demure, “We were practically holding hands during that meeting.”

“Practically.”

“I’m really glad you asked to talk today, I’ve been thinking about-”

April cut her off, “You told me then that I was trapped in a lie. Do you remember that?”

“Yeah, but that was a mistake. I’ve been thinking since then, and I never should’ve-”

“You’re exactly right Sterling. You never should’ve. I cannot even _fathom_ the audacity you have to accuse me of being trapped in a lie. Imagine the gall it takes to say that ‘lying is the worst,’ and then proceed to lie directly to my face for the entirety of our relationship.”

April watched with bitterness as all of the blood drained from Sterling’s face. She thought it would feel satisfying, but it felt hollow, acidic, like a stinging in her chest. She pushed the sensation aside, leaning forward to point a finger right in her ashen face, her tone cold and calculating.

“You, Sterling Wesley, are a fraud. You’re a liar, and a sinner, and a nefarious excuse for a Christian.”

Sterling didn’t step away from April’s attack. “April, your dad did horrible things,” her voice was tight and almost squeaky with emotion. “He assaulted a woman. He deserved to be brought to justice.”

April’s voice was rising in anger, her fists were clenched at her sides. She could feel her face getting flushed with fury. “You don’t get to do that! You don’t get to retroactively justify every careless and shitty thing you did! You destroyed my family! You preached about telling the truth and then turned around and lied about everything!”

“That was the only thing I ever-”

“ _No._ Sterling, it’s been months… _months!_ And you couldn’t even make it right. You couldn’t even try to be honest since then. I had to hear it from _him!”_

Sterling stepped back with teary eyes and ran a hand through her hair in frustration. “You don’t get it! I - I wanted to tell you, _so badly._ Blair and I swore that we wouldn’t say anything to anyone. It was just for the money, it’s our job.”

“Great, that’s great Sterling! I’m glad everything between us had a _fucking_ price tag on it!” April took a breath, lowering her voice to something harsh and cutting, “I wish you’d never kissed me. I wish I’d never met you. You ruined my life.” April could see on Sterling’s face when the sentence hit her. Sterling recoiled as though she’d been struck with a physical force, the tears finally falling from her eyes.

Something shifted then, both in the set of Sterling’s posture and the expression on her face. She wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her blazer, before stepping into April’s space and glaring down at her. April hated it intensely, it made her feel small. She tried to hold an unaffected snarl despite this sensation.

“As if your life was ever that hard April! Get over yourself! Your precious daddy got off scot-free, truly a gift for women everywhere,” she rolled her eyes sarcastically.

Irate didn’t even begin to cover it. How dare Sterling ever presume to know a single thing about April’s life. “You think my life is _easy _!?”__

__“Of course it is! You’ve never heard the word ‘no’ like, ever! You use people for your own ends and don’t give a crap who gets hurt in the process!”_ _

__April gestured to herself frantically with raised eyebrows, “ _I_ use people!? _Me_!?”_ _

__“You led Luke on for weeks! Just to prove how straight you are! You’re downright cruel to Hannah B. and Ezequiel! I don’t think you’ve ever had any _real_ friends! All you do is hurt people!"_ _

__That one really burned, and the tears leaked out of her eyes despite her best efforts. April would never win a screaming match. If Sterling thought that all she did was hurt people, she'd happily prove her right. “You don’t know a single thing about my life Sterling Wesley, and you wouldn’t last a day in my shoes. You’re nothing more than a waste of valuable space and oxygen!”_ _

__Sterling’s face looked pinched, like a big red angry balloon that was just about to pop. She let out a low grumbling sound before yelling, “Well you can go to hell!”_ _

__It was a verbal slap to the face, and April felt every inch of it._ _

__“I’ll see you there!”_ _

__She was rooted to the spot, forced to watch as Sterling stormed away, but she didn’t make it very far before a loud gasp to the left sent them both reeling._ _

__“Girls!” Ellen exclaimed with shock, standing in the now-open doorway of her office with her fanny-pack on, obviously ready to leave for the day. “I cannot _believe_ what I’ve just heard!” She waved Sterling back towards the piano and walked over to stand between the feuding pair._ _

__April crossed her arms, refusing to look in Sterling’s direction. It rankled her when her peripheral vision revealed that Sterling had opted for the same pose._ _

__Ellen tsk-tsk’d the two of them, a hand coming to rest on one of each of their shoulders, “What happened to being a great team? I thought you two had finally gotten close again.”_ _

__Neither of them spoke for a loaded moment. April sighed, realizing that, once again, Sterling had left her to do all of the heavy lifting. “With all due respect Ellen, I don’t think Sterling is a positive influence in my life any longer.”_ _

__“The feeling is mutual,” Sterling added quietly._ _

__Ellen squeezed the shoulders under her hands, “Girls, you know I love you both, but I heard some pretty _unchristian_ sentiments in this room. It’s Holy Week! The week before Christ’s ascension! This is not the week to let your bond die.”_ _

__April squirmed at Ellen’s speech, wondering with discomfort exactly how much of their argument she’d really heard. This was edging on dangerous territory, and yet once again, neither girl spoke up._ _

__Ellen let out an exasperated sigh, dropping her hands and digging in her fanny-pack for her keys. She began removing the Rubik’s Cube from her keychain with a tunneling focus, eventually placing it on the piano between them. “Holy Week is about rebirth girls! Until y’all solve the issues between you, you can’t continue your faith journeys in a way that reflects Jesus’s path on earth. Will y’all remember that for me?”_ _

__“Yes Ellen.”_ _

__“Yes.”_ _

__“Amen! You two are the best, I just know you’ll figure this out. Now, I’m taking a long weekend, so you both have just a _wonderful_ Easter, and I will see y’all on Monday!”_ _

__Sterling practically ran out of the room after Ellen, leaving April in her wake, her ears left ringing like she'd just heard a bomb go off. She quietly picked up the Rubik's Cube and took it with her as she replayed the confrontation over again in her head. That night, after April had finished her homework and curled up in bed, she clutched the Rubik’s Cube to her chest and quietly let the feelings overtake her. She cried for what she could’ve had, and if she were in the habit of being honest with herself, she'd admit that she cried because some of what Sterling said to her in anger was devastatingly true._ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, the girls wake up and quickly realize that something is a little... off.
> 
> This has been a hoot to write so far. Been feeling chaotic lately, so honestly, I'm not sure how everything is going to fully tie together yet. Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to see.
> 
> Side bar: April's ability to wake herself up during night terrors is actually something that I myself do when faced with the same.

April forced herself awake from a dream without an alarm, a concept which had been foreign to her for so long. Her heart ached for the peaceful days she’d been able to enjoy between the storms. Days when all she had to worry about was her next exam and decoding the lyrics of the latest Taylor Swift album.

Controlling her consciousness was an essential part of her survival. When she was little and had first begun to conceptualize her interest in other girls, she’d punished herself for it mercilessly. No matter how many nights she spent pouring over her children’s Bible, she never found the permission she was looking for, never found a God who would love her anyway. Until April grew to find that within herself, she was haunted by night terrors. The darkness then had brought with it horrible images of her father’s condemnation, the devil’s clutches, or dark figures lurking behind her, and if she didn’t learn to force herself awake, she would risk waking the whole house when she awoke, screaming and thrashing in a cold sweat.

The dream she’d just had though, it was disturbing for entirely different reasons. In the dream April had been approaching a house in a nice dress on a sunny day, holding flowers as though they were a gift. She’d fidgeted briefly before proceeding. After barely finishing a ring of the doorbell, the front door had swung open revealing a lightly blushing Sterling. Dream Sterling glanced back into the house over her shoulder briefly before quickly sweeping April up into a tight embrace. Once close she spoke in a low voice that seemed to vibrate through April’s whole body, “Gosh, I’m so glad you’re here.” The hug was so comforting and so exact, like her subconscious had taken care to remember exactly how it felt to be in Sterling’s arms, even her smell was perfectly preserved for April to luxuriate in. In the dream April felt like she could float, but clearly it wasn’t right, because this Sterling wasn’t telling her that she’d never had any real friends, or that she only ever hurts people, and this Sterling didn’t tell her to go to hell. She’d forced her eyelids open until she was awake again.

Everything in the dream had been so _specific_ and even now that April was staring blankly at the ceiling, Sterling’s smell still filled her head. The aroma was all around her, dancing mockingly around her nose. She finally let her eyes wander around the room and felt her blood run cold.

There was a loud thud as April’s abrupt scramble through the sheets caused her back to slam against the headboard. Sterling’s smell wasn’t just in her head, it was everywhere, because for some reason April was in Sterling’s _bed._ No matter, she thought, attempting to quell the rising panic. A clock on the bedside table indicated that it was still a little too early for anyone else to be awake. April would simply collect herself and sneak out with no one the wiser. It was a sound plan; the only option, really. The sound of the steady breaths she took calmed her racing pulse.

A foot that had snuck out of the sheets in her panic looked _wrong_ somehow. It sported chipped mint green nail polish, a color and condition that April would never accept. Besides, she knew for a fact that her own toenails were perfectly manicured with her signature shade of Dior Vernis: Incognito. This foot was too big, and the toenails too poorly maintained. She wiggled her left toes, and the mint green toes wiggled back at her mockingly. _Fuck._

Her elbow whacked against the headboard as she reached back and yanked the hair tie out of her hair. Delicate strands of honey blonde hair cascaded around her face, bringing with them a fresh wave of _Eau de Sterling._

April didn’t need to check a mirror. She would know that smell; those golden locks anywhere. At the risk of looking like an owl (or worse) she desperately tried to open her eyes as widely as she could, because surely this was just a continuation of her misplaced dream. But nothing changed. She pinched her thigh, _Sterling’s_ thigh. Nothing. _Fine._

April rolled her head back against the headboard and closed her eyes. God was really going to test her today, huh? _Fine._ If there’s one thing April Stevens could ace, it was a test. God wanted her to be Sterling Wesley? She’d be the best goddamn Sterling Wesley that anyone had ever met. _Fine._ She’d see how long fragile, sensitive, Sterling could last in her own shoes. Sterling probably wouldn’t make it past breakfast for all of her tough talk during their fight the day before. No, Sterling could face John for the morning and be well-deserving of that mess. _Fine._ (Well, not really fine, but Spartans never let their enemies know when they were bleeding, and neither would she.) April could _waltz_ through a day in the life of Sterling Wesley. Several deep breaths later, after internalizing every facet of Sterling’s character that could be easily recalled, she heard the creaking of someone making their way downstairs from another bedroom. It was almost go-time.

April turned the alarm clock off and headed to the bathroom that, if the snores were any indication, was shared with Blair. _Better to dodge that bullet for now and play defense later on._ She quickly shut both of the doors and turned the shower on, pulling at the hem of her pajama top as she watched curls of steam rise from behind the curtain. April froze. _Oh God._ Was it _ethical_ to shower in Sterling’s body? It’s not like she hadn’t spent a good amount of time picturing Sterling naked, but that was different, that was somewhat _consensual._ She’d had permission before to _feel_ Sterling’s body, but to _wash_ it? And wasn’t someone telling you to go to hell an effective revocation of any and all bodily consent?

Okay, obviously she had to shower to keep this charade going. If she was going to pretend to be Sterling all day, she needed to present as a freshly showered and blow-dried Sterling at school, right? _Right._ Clearly Sterling would have to shower as her too, and she was almost certainly not having this same internal debate. _Fuck it._

The pajamas were on the floor and the hot water was calming April down before she could spiral into another frantic circle of confusion. Instead of freaking out about what was happening, she simply redirected her attention to how she and Sterling could get this figured out, assuming that the two of them were the only ones affected by this weirdness. By the time the shower was over, she had compartmentalized everything so completely that it felt like it was happening to someone else. Wiping the mirror clear after she’d toweled off, she realized that she’d long buried her inhibitions. She took a good long look at Sterling’s body and thought with only the tiniest taste of bitterness: _God, I have great taste in women._

It was still fairly early, so she got dressed and carefully styled her hair into a well-portioned half-up half-down look while peeking at Sterling’s class schedule on her desk. She’d always liked it best when the blonde wore her hair like this, so it seemed like a passable choice.

Midway through curling her eyelashes, Blair kicked open the bathroom door sporting baggy flannel pajamas with a tank top and an impossibly messy bun. She looked confused and her eyes were barely open, “You’re already up?” The surprise had her eyes opening more fully, scanning April up and down, “And you’re ready an hour early?”

 _What would Sterling say?_ April could do this, she’d fixated on Sterling enough to mimic the cadences of her speech.

April didn’t even turn to look, she just continued curling her eyelashes. “Yeah well, you know, after everything yesterday… Seemed like I needed a fresh start.”

Blair sighed heavily and entered the room, plopping down on Sterling’s bed with one leg curled under her. It rattled April to see Blair so relaxed. To be honest, just seeing her without a snarl on her face was relatively new. “Are you okay Sterl? I haven’t seen your hairline this perfect since the day after you outed yourself to the Fellowship cult.”

April just played dumb, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You cried on my shoulder for two hours last night. Call it whatever you want, but _please_ don’t call it fine. I still can’t believe that heinous little gremlin called you a waste of space.”

The insults spurred April to defend herself, and she pivoted to face the other girl, “I said some pretty mean things too Blair.”

Blair lowered her voice to a grumble, “Don’t even start with that…”

“With what?” April tilted her head and asked brightly, hoping to swerve around whatever she’d just stepped into.

“Look, I know you’re like, in love with her or whatever,” Blair rolled her eyes dramatically, “But you can’t seriously let this slide. If you don’t choke a bitch, I will.”

_…I know you’re like, in love with her or whatever…_

_…you’re like, in love with her…_

_…in love…_

_Did Sterling love her? Did she just say that casually to Blair all the time to the point that it was barely a mention? Was that a thing? Love? LOVE?_ Blair didn’t need to “choke a bitch” because just hearing that sentiment thrown out all willy-nilly had quite literally just choked the bitch in question.

April coughed.

Blair pressed, “Did you tell her about everything? Because that insult just seemed really… specific.”

April had no idea what ‘everything’ entailed, so she could actually answer this one honestly, “No, but can we not get into-”

“You’re right. It’s just, with everything going on, you’ve been saying you don’t feel like you really belong here with us, like maybe you don’t deserve this space.” Blair leaned forward, her eyes intent in a way that April had never seen before. “But you do Sterl. You _so_ belong here, and you’re never wasting space or air with me. Okay?”

April nodded, relieved that she hadn’t put on her mascara yet, because her eyes were welling with tears from something Blair Wesley had just said. It really was a freaky Friday.

Blair smiled, her own eyes shining, “Shit, you can have _my_ air, I don’t need it.”

April let out a chuckle, blinking back the wetness that had formed in her eyes. “Thanks Blair.”

Blair got up from the bed and bent halfway over to squeeze April from an awkward angle, “I love you so much sis,” she said quietly before pulling away.

“I – I love you too.”

“You better!” Blair burped loudly and left the room, calling over her shoulder, “I’m still driving today though weirdo. One hour!”

God, did Sterling really get to have this every day? A constant ally, a fiercely loving best friend, a person to hug and validate her every action? April had definitely won the better end of this deal. Why switch back at all, really? She could have a loving support system, a wonderful family, and a taller stature. Sure, she had skinny little chicken arms, but with some weights and a high protein diet, these wet noodles could move mountains.

April grabbed Sterling’s iPhone off of the nightstand and guessed 1-1-1-1. The phone unlocked immediately, and April scoffed at how stupid it was, quickly dialing her own number before cringing slightly at what she knew would pop up on her own screen. Somehow it made "April ❤" pale in comparison.

****

**_________________**

The blaring of a loud alarm stirred Sterling from her sleep. She groaned and rolled over in bed, grabbing at the phone making the noise and swiping it to snooze without fully opening her eyes. It didn’t matter much anyway, usually Blair’s unrequested morning enthusiasm forced her out of bed in time for school. Despite her best efforts to return to sleep, everything from the day before came rushing back. Her pulse started racing at the recollection: April in tears screaming at her about lying, calling her a bad Christian, accusing her of wasting space, wishing they’d never kissed. _Shoot._ She remembered sobbing into Blair’s arms and praying for sleep just for a reprieve from the ugliness of it all.

Sterling rubbed her eyes with the heels of both hands, as though the action could push those memories out of her brain. Her cheeks felt puffier than usual, probably because of all the crying. After everything she’d been through this year, she was no stranger to crying herself to sleep. Her therapist had said that allowing herself to emote in that way was a strength, and that feelings, once expressed, were much more easily deconstructed. _Thanks Diane._ Still sleepy, she scooted to the edge of the bed and swung her legs over the side, but something was off. They didn’t reach the floor. _Since when?_

It was only then that Sterling fully looked around. The walls were a teal-gray color, there were trophies and medals on every available surface, and there was… a ballet barre? Her eyes shot around the room taking in the neat white furniture, the boxy lamps on each end table. Only when her neck was fully wrenched did she see the white lettering over the headboard. ‘APRIL’

 _Oh no, oh no, oh no._ Thank God April had the wherewithal to label her own room because it was coming in awful handy now, but what was Sterling _doing_ here? Did she sleepwalk? Did they reunite at some point last night and Sterling just didn’t remember? Did they _sleep_ together? If so, _where_ was April?

Okay, Sterling needed to calm down. Clearly, she’d just blocked something out. Maybe it was pleasant, who really knew? Maybe she’d finally been ravaged and had just conveniently forgotten. This was a good thing, right? Yes, it had to be. As furious as she still was at April’s attacks, if they’d gotten together, there must’ve been a conversation.

They could figure out the details together later, right then she needed to get out of there undetected. _The window!_ It was the perfect plan. She scrambled over to it, but something in her periphery stopped her. Brown hair? Maybe it was April messing with her. Cautiously, she took three steps back towards the mirror.

April wasn’t messing with her, no, _she_ was April.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no._

This was a dream, of course it was a dream. There’s no way that Sterling could just wake up one day and be April Stevens. That would be ridiculous. Diane, her therapist, would have her committed. Yet, when her face moved, April’s face moved. When she waved her hand, April waved back in the mirror. _Enough nonsense._ Sterling wound her hand up and smacked herself hard across the face. _Mother of God that hurt!_ The sting of it made her eyes well up.

But it was fruitless, because there in the mirror, were April’s eyes shiny with tears, and April’s cheek quickly reddening from the force of the slap.

Sterling, for some reason, was inside April. (Which is _so_ not how she wanted that to happen.) But who was inside of her own body? Was April in her body, or was this some big Scooby-Doo body swap thing? She could figure this out, she just needed to talk to Blair. There was always a reason for these things, and Blair would believe her, no matter what. She had to call April, no, she had to call _herself_. She had to call April _as_ herself. Scoffing up the iPhone from the nightstand, she immediately tried to dial, but it was locked with an… eight-digit PIN? _What the heck April?_

Okay, Sterling could do this. She could fake it until school and talk to April then. But first…

Sterling turned around and dropped to her knees at the side of April’s bed. She quickly crossed herself, closing her eyes and folding her hands in front of her.

_Hey God, it’s me, Sterling, just checking in. So this is weird, right? And definitely not a dream. I’m sure you have some kind of plan here. I really hope you do. Please watch over me as I try to figure this out. I wasn’t a very kind person yesterday, and definitely not following the word you left us. Hopefully, you can forgive me for that. I’ll try to be better, promise. And… please help April too. I’m sure she’s dealing with this as well, and we could both use your grace._

_Amen._

She took a deep breath and allowed her eyes to flutter open, and they came to rest on an abnormal lump in the sheets. Before she could investigate further, a voice behind her spoke, “Getting your morning prayers in Little Padawan?” Sterling’s blood ran cold.

_Wait, no, I’m not me. I’m April. Chill out._

“Yes daddy,” her voice rang out high and clear, a rich timbre. _That was new._ She didn’t move from her spot, too scared to turn and look John Stevens in the eye.

“Good girl. Your mother made breakfast whenever you’re ready. You need to fuel up to win that pre-calc exam today, alright?”

_Win? How do you win a test? What would April say?_

“Of course daddy.”

When the door clicked shut behind her, she stood and fell forward onto the bed in exasperation. Her body hit something hard, and she dug her hands into the sheets, searching for the irregular object she’d spotted earlier. When she came up with it, she was even more confused. A Rubik’s Cube in April’s bed? Not even just any Rubik’s Cube, but the one from Ellen’s keychain. Did April fall asleep with this thing _in her bed?_

Sterling had way too many questions, and it was early, way earlier than when she usually woke up. April probably set her alarm super early to shower and style her hair just so, with the perfect outfit, tasteful makeup, and a devotionals binder just brimming with Christian platitudes. Sterling just had to make it through the morning routine first and then she could find April at school and…

The cell phone was ringing. _The cell phone was ringing._

Sterling desperately scrambled to get her hands on the phone before Mr. Stevens heard it ringing and came back. Besides, she really needed to answer this call from ‘May B. Someday.’ Sterling’s heart almost stopped, or rather, April’s heart almost stopped. Is that really what April had saved her as in her phone? But how could she know about… There was no time to unpack it, and a quick swipe started the call.

“Hello, is this May?” Sterling answered cautiously. Jumping the gun never did serve her very well.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me,” Sterling’s own voice responded. It was beyond bizarre. Somehow April’s persnickety tone managed to ring through, even with someone else’s vocal cords. “Sterling this is important, have you told anyone? Did you talk to my family?”

“No, I didn’t tell anyone!” Sterling hissed out, “Do you think I’m crazy? Nobody would believe me anyway. This is ridiculous! I _barely_ believe me.”

“So you haven’t spoken to anyone?” April pressed.

“I didn’t say _that,_ exactly. Your dad came in when I was praying, he said breakfast was ready, and something about winning a pre-calc test.”

“Why were you praying!? We could’ve been figuring this out and you thought you’d have a nice morning prayer?”

“It’s not my fault your phone PIN is a thousand numbers long. How was I supposed to call you?”

April groaned, “This is so _like you._ Not taking action to fix anything and then stepping in and taking credit when someone else has already done most of the work.”

Sterling started pacing in irritation, “What work could you have _possibly_ done since you woke up? Get real!”

“I’ll have you know that I’m already ready for school,” April sounded unreasonably smug. “I take it you’re still panicking in _my_ pajamas?”

Sterling looked down at the expensive pajamas she was still sporting. “Uh, I don’t know what you’re… um.”

“Exactly.”

“Wait, did you shower in my body!?”

“Grow up Sterling, would you rather everyone smell your B.O. all day?”

“Whatever, April. I don’t need this. Put Blair on the phone, please.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment, “Why would I do that?”

“Are you serious? We need to fix this! We need her on our side!”

“I think Blair’s perfectly convinced that I’m you. I see no reason to contradict that.”

Sterling felt a light sheen of sweat emerge from her palms, “April, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” she emphasized as though she were speaking to a toddler, “Let’s not upset the status quo.”

“The st – status quo…” Sterling could barely choke out the words.

“Good girl,” April praised condescendingly, and Sterling had to pretend that the phrase didn’t affect her at all. “Now, don’t talk to my parents. You can get away with it if you claim to be focusing on the test.”

“You can’t keep me from talking to Blair, April. Do you hear me?”

“I’d like to, but your body must have selective hearing.”

“Yeah well, your body’s about five inches too short!”

“I’m sure you’ll find out pretty quickly that in my house, height isn’t the only shortcoming you have.”

Then the line went dead.


End file.
